


Massachusetts Sea Serpent

by Brumeier



Series: Unexpected Discoveries 'Verse [6]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Community: ushobwri, Developing Relationship, M/M, Monster Hunters, Nausea, Reality TV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-14
Updated: 2015-10-14
Packaged: 2018-04-26 07:43:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4996333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>In 1817, eyewitness account surfaced of a hundred-foot-long serpent-like creature off the coast of Gloucester, in the Atlantic ocean. For an entire month, people from all walks of life reported sightings that universally agreed that the creature was a sea serpent. Given that this was a large fishing community, these reports have a certain credibility that others do not.</i>
</p><p> </p><p>  <i>Sightings of the sea serpent continued on into the 1960s. As recently as last year, passengers on a cruise ship reported seeing a serpentine form off the bow of the ship, and several of them captured some compelling video footage. The MU team is here to see if we can find any trace of this wily ocean dweller.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Massachusetts Sea Serpent

**Author's Note:**

> This is for [Monster Fest 2015 at the You Should Be Writing](http://ushobwri.livejournal.com/81907.html) comm on LJ, covering Lovecraftian (aka tentacles) day.

_In 1817, eyewitness account surfaced of a hundred-foot-long serpent-like creature off the coast of Gloucester, in the Atlantic ocean. For an entire month, people from all walks of life reported sightings that universally agreed that the creature was a sea serpent. Given that this was a large fishing community, these reports have a certain credibility that others do not._

_Sightings of the sea serpent continued on into the 1960s. As recently as last year, passengers on a cruise ship reported seeing a serpentine form off the bow of the ship, and several of them captured some compelling video footage. The MU team is here to see if we can find any trace of this wily ocean dweller._

“Ugh. I’m gonna be sick.” 

Rodney’s stomach rolled with the pitch of the boat, the rough waters of the Atlantic tossing him and the rest of the team around like so much flotsam. The motion sickness patch behind his ear wasn’t helping, and neither was trying to keep his gaze focused on the horizon.

“Don’t,” Laura begged. She was looking a little green around the gills herself. “If you hurl so will I.”

_Evan to base camp. Visibility is almost nil down here._

“Copy that,” Laura replied. “The…ugh…the ROVR is...ugh...bouncing around too much to get anything. Shit.”

She lost the battle, hurriedly draping herself over the edge of the fishing boat and heaving into the water. Rodney pressed the back of his hand to his mouth to keep from doing the same.

Evan, Kyle and Ronon were trying to get some camera shots below the surface, their wetsuits little protection against the cold. Seriously, what was Kyle thinking having them out on such a choppy sea? As usual, he’d been seduced by the story and really, it had only been bad timing; the latest eyewitness report was from two days ago.

“You okay, Rodney?” John asked from the helm. He was bundled up in a red jacket, the hood pulled tight around his face.

Rodney pressed his lips together and gave a tiny shake of his head. He was never letting Kyle talk him onto another boat as long as he lived. 

_Kyle for base camp._

“Go for base camp,” John said.

_Evan’s in trouble. We’re coming up, and we’ll need help getting him in the boat._

“On it.”

Rodney rallied, forcefully pushing aside the nausea. He didn’t know what kind of trouble Evan was in but Kyle had sounded dead serious. John retrieved Ronon’s med kit and Rodney helped Laura keep an eye out for the rest of their team.

Three heads bobbed to the surface in succession, far enough off starboard that John had to fire up the engine and drive the boat over to meet them. Ronon hefted Evan up for John and Rodney to grab, and it was clear the man was in pain. When he hit the deck Evan curled in on himself, alternately panting and cursing.

“What the hell happened?” Rodney asked, helping Ronon on board. “Don’t tell me you found the damn thing.”

Ronon dumped his oxygen tanks and pushed the neoprene hood off his head. “Lion’s Mane jellyfish. He swam right into a bloom. Couldn’t see anything down there.”

Kyle likewise shed his tanks and immediately knelt down beside Evan. “Hang in there, buddy. We’ve got you.”

The sun was setting but there was light enough to see the raised red rashes and welts on Evan’s hands, neck and face. Rodney started scratching at his own neck in sympathy, feeling a phantom itch.

“Do you need someone to pee on him?” John asked. “I can totally do that.”

“That’s disgusting.” Rodney’s nausea made itself known once more and he sat down hard, hands clasped over his mouth.

Ronon shook his shaggy head. “Fallacy. This should help.” He pulled a bottle of vinegar out of his bag and started pouring it liberally over the jellyfish stings. “We’ll follow this up with some anti-inflammatories and then get you to the hospital so they can check you out.”

The vinegar smell was strong, but Evan seemed to relax almost immediately. Unfortunately it had the opposite effect on Rodney, and then it was his turn to hang over the side of the boat while his stomach violently emptied itself.

“Hang on, buddy,” John called out to him. “We’re heading for solid ground.”

Rodney groaned and kept heaving.

*o*o*o*

John offered to drive Rodney back to the hotel from the hospital, once Evan was given the all clear. The others were going out for drinks, but Rodney still wasn’t feeling great.

“You don’t have to.” 

This thing with John was still new, and a little uncertain, and Rodney didn’t want to make the man feel that he had to spend every moment with him.

“Wouldn’t have offered otherwise,” John replied.

They drove in silence back to the hotel, Rodney nursing his third can of ginger ale. He was embarrassed that he’d lost it in front of John, only slightly mollified by the fact that Laura had been right there with him.

“We’re here,” John said unnecessarily as he pulled into the parking lot. 

Rodney just gave him a look and got out of the rental car. All he wanted to do was change into his sleep clothes and crawl into bed, and hope he was feeling well enough for the very large breakfast he planned on having in the morning.

As luck would have it, Rodney and John were sharing a room. It had been luck of the draw; they hadn’t told anyone yet that they were dating. If it could be called that.

Rodney made straight for the bathroom and gave his teeth a very thorough brushing. When he came out John already had one of the two beds turned down. He used the bathroom while Rodney got changed, and when he came out Rodney was still standing in the middle of the room, uncertain if he was supposed to use the bed John had gotten ready or sleep in the other one.

“Let’s get some sleep,” John said, his mouth twitching up in a smile. He crawled into the bed and patted the space he left for Rodney.

“I’m still not feeling very well,” Rodney said. It might have sounded a bit defensive, but he wasn’t sure what was happening. He and John only ever slept together after actually _sleeping_ together. Sleeping just to sleep…that was new.

“That’s why you’re on the outside, in case you need to make a break for it.” John stretched and then rolled over, squishing his face into the pillow in a way that always made Rodney wonder how he didn’t suffocate. The message was clear enough, though. John wasn’t expecting to get physical, which left Rodney both relieved and a little disappointed.

Rodney slid into bed and shut the light. It felt good to be lying down, and his head wasn’t spinning anymore which was a bonus. John curled his legs up to press his feet against Rodney’s calves, and shifted just enough to press his ass against Rodney’s hip. Neither of them were cuddly sleepers, but John in particular seemed to need at least one point of contact before he relaxed enough to drift off. Which he promptly did.

It took Rodney a little longer to fall asleep himself. It was important, this change in his relationship with John. It wasn’t just about sex, which he’d never admit he secretly thought it might be.

John let out a sigh in his sleep and Rodney couldn’t stop the flood of affection he felt at the sound. It definitely wasn’t just sex for him, either. He closed his eyes and let himself drift off, content and happy.

**Author's Note:**

>  **AN:** In case you’re looking for them, the tentacles are on the jellyfish. VERY subtle. ::grins:: All my knowledge on unpleasant jellyfish encounters was gleaned from online sources. I am not, in fact, a jellyfish expert of any kind. Though I do remember that ep of _Friends_ well enough, and yes, peeing did happen. LOL!


End file.
